Junior Elvis Chan has been a part of the Student Union since joining Townsend Harris. He began as a Freshman Grade Leader, became an Executive-at-Large last year, and has now been elected as the 2024-2025 SU Club Liaison. As a prominent member of the class of 2026, Elvis shared his goals as Club Liaison and his thoughts about future roles he may pursue in the SU.
Elvis said that he ran for a significant role in the Student Union in part because of how students in his grade are treated.
“One of my primary reasons for pursuing [a position on] the Student Union was because of the discrimination in the Class of 2026 since my freshman year. Fighting for my grade was my motivation in freshman year, trying my best to work with the grade leaders and Jasmyn [Pillay], former [Freshman-Sophomore Class President], to make a wonderful year for the Class of 2026.”
He also said that current SU President, who was Club Liaison last year, inspired him to run, as did fellow SU members and fellow juniors Natalie Tamma and Jenna Abdelhamid. “Working alongside these three individuals helped me grow professionally and on a personal level, and [they] motivated me and really pushed me to run for this position. In the spring of 2024, I made my decision to run for Club Liaison and luckily, I got the position. Ever since, I’ve been working very hard to assist the extracurricular community and better it for our school,” said Elvis.
Other Student Union members have taken note of the work Elvis does.
Freshman-Sophomore Class Co-President Aki Benjamin said, “Elvis knows his clubs and he knows his stuff really well, and he puts in the time to actually get stuff done. He consistently worked over the summer with the new clubs, and he works with our treasurer to ensure that the fundraisers go smoothly. […] If a club leader needs him he’s always accessible.”
Junior Class President Jenna Abdelhamid said, “He’s literally everywhere all the time and I think that’s the most Elvis thing to be doing. I don’t know how…but he’s always already on standby.”
Since Elvis worked closely with Student Union President Alex Yauri, he was able to gain valuable insight to prepare for his current position. Social studies teacher and Senior Advisor Blayne Gelbman said, “I think Alex did a really good job of putting in place structures and policies … a lot of the things that need to be squared away … Elvis has put in place a really good plan over the summer and he’s trying to get it in action now.”
Coordinator of Student Activities Jaime Baranoff praised Elvis for his commitments to the SU since freshman year. “I remember Elvis taking a leadership role his freshman year and planning the freshman field day,” she said.
As for his work last year, she said, “He did lots of different things, you know, anything that we asked him to do. […] He became active helping out the club liaison, Alex, last year. He would help Mr. Gelbman and I with whatever we needed. He was just kind of like an all-around great team member.”
Elvis said that “working with Alex last year gave me first-hand experience and prepared me for what is to come. Club Liaison is one of the toughest jobs along with Student Union president and vice president on the Student Union Board. Organizing over 80+ clubs and communicating with all clubs to make sure everyone is on the same page is just a small portion of the job. But with such a heavy workload, I ask my colleagues like Alex for assistance and guidance.”
At meetings, Elvis is known for being vocal. Jenna said: “In the SU, he’ll have a lot to say […] he’s always very determined to get his point across and he won’t back down from trying to address something […] and always willing to speak up for others.”
Aki said, “We’re always on the opposite side of any issue pretty much. However, we’re actually pretty good friends because we both respect each other’s opinion. I think that we’re both actually pretty good about listening to other people, listening to each other, and evaluating to make a decision that incorporates both of our good ideas.”
His peers and colleagues foresee Elvis pursuing a higher position. “Elvis is a person who has shown significant leadership capabilities, significantly wanting to actually do the work, get stuff done. I could see him potentially running for a [higher] leadership position at some point,” said Aki.
Looking towards the future, Elvis said he has no current plans of running for Student Union President, but he will support his close friend Jenna if she decides to run. “I’ve been speaking with Jenna actually and agreed that if she runs for Student Union President, I will run as her running mate for Student Union Vice President. Throughout my high school career, I’ve been working closely with Jenna with almost everything and the literal dynamic duo and I feel like running with her will be the best decision for me,” says Elvis.
Freshman Sophomore Class Co-President Jordana Lo also said she could see him taking on an expanded role next year: “He’s worked really hard to […] make our school welcoming, and I can definitely see him [taking on a new position].”
Elvis said that other Harrisites should get involved if they want to make things happen in the school. “If you never try, the answer will always be no, and I believe if I can do it, anyone in this school can do it. All it takes is to try,” he said.
